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Having survived the bloodbath that avenged her father's death
Ocho Inoshika returns home only to be abducted, due to a case
of mistaken identity, by a local gang who, following an unsuccessful
internal examination for drugs which she is not carrying,
frame her for a series of local murders. Branded as the Crotch-Gouge
(you don't want to know) serial killer she must use her every
resource, usually sex and violence, to revenge herself against
the gang and find the real Crotch-Gouge killer before it is
too late...
The
directorial reigns for Female Yakuza Tale (1973) were
passed on to Teruo Ishii, another master of the exploitation
genre. The film was written by Ishii and Masahiro Kakefuda.
Bizarrely enough the film failed to gain any awards but did
prove popular with the sex and samurai audience, further cementing
Reiko Ike's reputation.
For
this second outing, plot density has been reduced - I think
it was confusing the audience - as has the violence in favour
for more erotica. I'm still bemused at the fact that the film
is so well shot, maybe I'm more used to American exploitation
film which seem to gain their cult status from the poor level
of craft demonstrated.
Even if you don't like the concept or content you'd be hard
pressed to fault the film on its cinematography, costumes
or sets. Ok some of the acting sucks big time and not in a
good way, though Reiko Ike still can hold her acting head
high. It is a surprise that she was never able to make the
transition into mainstream films.
Visually the sequel is more confused than the previous movie
Sex
and Fury. The original film was set at the
turn of the nineteenth/twentieth century and whilst there
are elements of nineteen hundreds Japan in Female Yakuza
Tale there is also a large injection of seventies styles
and motifs. This does have the effect of taking away some
of the visual style of the first film but also, at times,
makes for a more colourful experience.
Let's
be honest, these are no great works of art, and whilst the
PR blurb would have you believe that this is one of the films
which inspired Kill Bill - you'd think that poor Tarantino
never had an original idea in his head - it will appeal to
the same crowd.
Despite its obvious limitations, like, eh, plot and acting,
Female Yakuza Tale is quite an interesting piece of kitsch
schlock. Not as funny as Sex and Zen (1992), but if
blood, babes and boobs are a good night in for you then you've
just discovered a superior product from the genre, though
ultimately not as good as the first film in the series.
Once again the film is in Japanese with optional subtitles.
Extras on the disc consist of the original cinema trailer
and posters as well as a text piece on Ike and a stills gallery.
Charles
Packer
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